We call upon WIPO delegates to reject the proposed WIPO Broadcast Treaty. After more than 9 years of discussions, efforts to find a treaty formulation that deals with piracy of broadcast signals, but which does not harm copyright owners and the legitimate users of broadcasts have failed.

Statement Concerning WIPO Broadcast Treaty Provided by Information Technology, Consumer Electronics and Telecommunications Industries Representatives, Public Interest Organizations, and Creative Community Representatives: The undersigned represent a broad and diverse group, united in common concern that the WIPO Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organizations could harm important
economic and public policy interests. Members of this group submitted a statement in connection with a forum held at the USPTO on September 5, 2006, and the issues identified in that earlier statement largely remain relevant. This Statement dated May 9, 2007 offers preliminary comments regarding the Chairâ€™s â€œNon-paper on the WIPO Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasting Organizationsâ€ issued by WIPO on May 1, 2007. .....

... Intellectual property rights can foster economic and social development. The Broadcast Treaty in its current form will not help to reach these aims and does not, in our understanding, comply with the decision of the 2006 General Assembly.

The undersigned organisations represent a broad set of constituencies with a direct interest in the discussions underway regarding an international instrument relating to broadcasting. Whilst we remain unconvinced that a treaty is necessary at all â€“
and note that no convincing evidence has been presented that new international norms are required in this area â€“ we do believe that a focussed, signal-protection-based Instrument to prevent piracy could be valuable. ...

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA) appreciates the efforts of the U.S. Delegation to the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to advance a signal-theft-based approach in the negotiations on the WIPO Treaty on the Protection of Broadcasts and Broadcasting Organizations, and urges you to continue to work to ensure that any WIPO broadcasting treaty does not impede the ability of the worldâ€™s consumers to benefit from developments in home and personal network technologies. ....

The undersigned public interest organizations wish to request a public and recordable meeting with the US delegation to WIPO before the Special Session of the World Intellectual Property Organization's Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), First Session January 17, 2007 to January 19, 2007 (Geneva, Switzerland). The undersigned respectfully request that the USPTO or/and the Library of Congress (LOC) invite formal public comments on the proposal to create a new International Treaty obligation establishing a novel intellectual property regime for broadcasting and cablecasting organizations, through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). We believe it is important to have public comments on the impact on U.S. law and affected constituencies if the U.S. or any other country were to ratify a new WIPO Treaty embodying that proposal.

"IP Justice strongly recommends, that Member States decide against convening a Diplomatic Conference to draft a Broadcast Treaty. At the 15th Session of the SCCR several Member States made clear their objection against moving forward based on the draft proposal. The SCCR Chairmanâ€™s decision to convene a diplomatic conference is premature and lacks the consensus necessary for legitimate democratic law-making. ..."

IP Justice signed on to a letter to the US Delegation at WIPO. Other signatories to the letter are the American Association of Law Libraries, American Library Association
Association of Research Libraries, CDT, CPTech, Consumers Union, EFF, Free Press, Media Access Project, Medical Library Association, Public Knowledge, Special Libraries Association, and U.S. PIRG